Glamour and a bus stop

THE founder of Logan’s newest ultra trendy coffee roastery and restaurant precinct has thought of everything …
THE founder of Logan’s newest ultra trendy coffee roastery and restaurant precinct has thought of everything … including a bus terminal for those who want to knock back a few coffee martinis and not drive.

Kenton Campbell’s $20 million Zarraffa’s Kiwanda Cafe and roastery precinct, which opened at Eagleby this month, will have its own private bus station with shuttle services to and from Beenleigh train station.

No longer will southsiders have to rely on cabs if they want a beer with their lunch or to watch a band over a glass of wine. Soon they will be able to catch a bus to Eagleby, which is quickly shrugging off the shackles of being branded a wasteland between the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

The precinct, which was once earmarked for a DFO site, is on the same road as the Beenleigh Rum Distillery and a five-minute drive to Beenleigh train station.

When operating, the bus station, built by Zarraffa’s, will allow diners to catch a bus from Beenleigh to the precinct, which has bars and restaurants and is expected to become a major night-time music venue.

Buses will come into the precinct off Henry Hester Dve, along Zarraffa’s Way on to Distillery Rd and return to the Beenleigh train station.

Campbell, Zarraffa’s managing director, spent upwards of $700,000 for the bus hub. He said he delayed opening his bespoke restaurant and cafe until there was a transport hub at the doorstep. “So when you have a beer or two or want to have a nice afternoon, you don’t need to come in your car,” he said.

“The carpark is big enough for large buses and will also have Uber parking and a Tesla battery charging station. We are catering for the future.” Caffeine addicts will be stirred to test run the bespoke cafe, which blends the uber chic of a commercial warehouse with a modern restaurant roastery and space for a fresh produce market place.

Although the Kiwanda restaurant opened in June, the marketplace, which will run from Thursday to Sunday, will open in 2020 with leasing opportunities now available.

Once leases are signed, Mr Campbell said the site would be ready to crank up as a music and night-time venue.

The massive 17,000sq m site will easily cope with an anticipated 50 indoor stall holders.

From butchers, poultry and seafood sellers to breweries and small retailers, the marketplace is expected to also cater for boutique Logan businesses. The restaurant hub is close to the Albert River, halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and includes a cosy restaurant fireplace and vaulted, exposed ceilings so diners can take in views of the roastery.

“This area along the Albert River is coming back to what it used to be when trawlers came up here,” Mr Campbell said.

“It’s a bit of a forgotten area but as I came to understand the greater Logan area, I realised this is the centre of the universe.” Mr Campbell, who beat cancer six years ago, said Logan City Council encouraged the development and he felt a great sense of achievement when the restaurant opened.■ Not interested in coffee or wine? Try a Black Giraffe lager, a blend of a Gold Coast beer and Eagleby coffee or a Kiwanda Espresso Martini, at 124 Distillery Rd, Eagleby